


Changes

by Huggle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Curses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 20:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4976257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huggle/pseuds/Huggle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've been cursed before.  This time is a little different, and a whole lot worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Changes

At the time, none of them thinks anything much about it. Well, Dean and Bobby don’t. Sam’s unconscious in Castiel’s arms, the angel hugging him protectively to his chest as the half blood demon they’ve finally trapped spits at them from the cage.

“So many different paths,” she says. “So many different ways it could have turned out.”

Only Castiel frowns at her as Dean fires three enchanted rounds through the bars.

_Day One_

Dean wakes up to find Castiel standing in the corner of the room, staring at him. He’s still groggy with sleep; it’s barely past dawn, and the light is sluggish as it fills the room. Dean lifts a corner of the blanket, and jerks his head at the angel. It’s as much of an enticement as he can manage this early.

“Cas,” he protests, when Castiel doesn’t move. “Get in the freaking bed. It’s cold and it’s too fucking early, and I want you in here.”

He isn’t ready for the look he receives in return, one that brings him all the way to wakefulness like an ice cold shower or a full pot of Bobby’s special brew coffee. Just as he isn’t ready for Cas grabbing him by the shoulders and heaving him from the bed to dangle a few feet off the ground.

“I’m an angel of the Lord, Dean. You should show me some respect.”

_Day Two_

It lasted for an hour. When it was over, Castiel didn’t seem to remember any of it. He didn’t doubt what they told him but he couldn’t explain it at all. 

But Dean knows bad shit is rarely over when you think it is, and so he’s half ready for the next round.

It’s still a hell of a shock to find Jimmy Novak outside trying to roll the Impala to the gate of Bobby’s yard before driving off in it.

Dean snatches the keys out of the ignition and hauls Jimmy from the car.

“It’s me,” Jimmy protests. “Not Castiel, me! He’s gone for good!”

“Yeah, right,” Dean snaps, fighting down a wave of panic at Jimmy’s words. “Get inside the damn house.”

They end up standing over Jimmy while he sits sobbing, and begging to see his family, at the kitchen table until Castiel finally returns.

_Day Seven_

On the Seventh day God might have rested but whatever magic that demon used is still going strong.

Cas manages to get past Sam by groping his dick, and uses his moment of outright horror to get to Bobby’s medicine cabinet. He picks up bottle after bottle, tosses them aside with a face.

“This is it? This is the strongest you’ve got? I thought you three badass hunters might have some seriously strong painkillers around. No opiates? None?”

Sam takes the opportunity to lock his arms around Castiel and drag him back downstairs to the panic room. When Cas manages to sink his teeth into Sam’s arm, that’s the first time this week that Sam has felt like knocking him cold until this all wears off.

He doesn’t though. Because somewhere in there is still their Cas. Eventually this will go full circle or just run out of steam. 

It can’t happen soon enough.

_Day Twenty Four_

Castiel sits smugly in the chair in the centre of the room. His hands are still tied to the chair’s arms, but Dean isn’t sure that’s any kind of security.

He lets Bobby do the Latin, because he’s not sure his own voice is strong enough.

Castiel writhes and howls and moans, and just as Bobby finishes the last line, the angel bursts into laughter. He laughs until he cries, and then finally gets himself under control.

“You’re fools,” he says, and Dean has to turn away because he can’t look at those gleaming black eyes. Not for a whole hour anyway.

_Day Thirty Nine_

Bobby’s not had much sleep since this started. The idea was they take it in turns to babysit the angel, because although so far this thing – curse – always hits just after sun up they can’t count on it staying like that.

Anyway, man his age finds his bladder runs to its own schedule and so when he’s done, and he rolls into the front room, he’s almost ready for what he finds. Almost.

Castiel’s standing there, looking like force of will is the only thing keeping him upright. He locks eyes on Bobby, starts to say his name, and then he goes down.

Bobby yells on the boys, and maybe Sam and Dean have just been waiting too. Seems like it, the way they get down there almost before he’s done shouting their names.

They move fast, efficient: Dean trying to rouse Cas and check how responsive he is, Sam stripping the angel and looking for injuries.

Which they find. And then some.

Handprints. On shoulders and wrists and legs. Bruising and bleeding. 

And there’s no demon taint. Sam would know. So if demons didn’t do this to the angel, that only leaves one camp that could.

“Family,” Bobby mutters, and rolls into the kitchen to get the first aid kit while Dean helps Sam get Cas into a fireman’s lift for the trip down to the panic room.

_Day Forty_

Castiel awakes, slowly, uncertainly. He feels like himself. None of the alternates that he has lived as over the past weeks. Of course he spent that time unaware of any change, but surely if anything had happened, Dean and Sam and Bobby would be with him.

He turns over, wondering if Dean is awake yet, and finds the hunter watching him from the other side of the bed.

“Dean. It appears to be over.”

Dean smiles and cups his cheek. “Does it?”

That’s all the warning Castiel gets. Dean pounces, ends up astride him. Castiel tries to throw him off but Dean is stronger than he should be. He pins Castiel’s wrists above his head with one hand, and slaps the other over Castiel’s mouth. It silences him, stops him yelling to alert Sam and Bobby.

He breathes hard against it, tenses, tries to reach out to Dean and see what’s happened.

And then he feels it. He knows.

“Oh, little brother,” Dean says. “I have to admit, this took longer than it should. Thanks to you. Let me express my gratitude.”

Despite Dean’s hand, Castiel still manages to scream.


End file.
